In Serbian, the village is known as Stari Lec (Стари Лец), in German as Alt Letz, and in Hungarian as Óléc or Baráchháza.

During Ottoman conquest in the 16th century, the settlement was destroyed, but it was later rebuilt since source dating from 1660/66 mention the village of Lec that was populated by Serbs.

In 1921, the population of the village numbered 1,011 inhabitants, including 426 Hungarians, 290 Germans, 138 Serbs, 29 Slovaks, and 97 other Slavs.

Stari Lec is location of Kapetanovo Castle, Monument of Culture of Great Importance.

The village has a Serb ethnic majority with a present Hungarian minority and its population numbering 1,094 people (2002 census).